Luggage handle



Feb. 1, 1938. E, GARFlNKEL 2,106,911

LUGGAGE HANDLE Filed May 22, 1956 K ,Z6/Ww ZZ INVENTOR.

,gy ATTORNEY.

Patented Feb. l, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFECE 2 Claims.

This invention relates, generally, to improvements in carrying handles for portable luggage, cases and similar articles; and the invention has reference, more particularly to a collapsible flatlying handle capable of being expanded to upwardly bowed condition for insertion of the hand thereunder whereby the same may be comfortably grasped when employed in carrying the luggage, case or the like to which it is applied; means being provided for releasably latching the handle in such upwardly bowed condition.

This invention has for an object to provide a longitudinally exible handle having internal spring means normally tending to depress the same to a nat-lying position along the top of the luggage or oase to which it is applied, such handle being capable of being upwardly bowed or arched, against the tension of its spring means, to an expanded position subject to the grasp of the carriers hand; a novel latch means being provided for releasably holding the handle in the latter position until collapse thereof is desired.

Other objects of this invention, not at this time more particularly enumerated, will be understood from the following detailed description of the same.

An illustrative embodiment of this invention is shown in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the top end of a case equipped with the novel handle structure according to this invention, the latter being shown in its collapsed flat-lying position along the case top; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view, taken on line 2-2 in Fig. l, but drawn on a larger scale; Fig. 3 is a similar longitudinal sectional View, showing the handle expanded subject to the grasp of the users hand, and latched in such position subject to release when it is desired to collapse the same in initial flat-lying position; Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view of an anchor box and the handle coupling link cooperative therewith, with portions of the handle in section; Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional View, taken on line 5-5 in Fig. 2; and Fig. 6 is a transverse Vertical section, taken on line 6 5 in Fig. 3.

Similar characters of reference are employed in the above described views, to indicate corresponding parts.

Referring to the drawing, the reference character Il) indicates a longitudinal flat spring steel core strip which extends axially through the handle body between its ends. Secured to the respective ends of said spring strip I0 are handle coupling links, comprising an inner end lug Il.

upon which an end of said spring strip lll is overlapped and secured by rivets l2, or any other suitable fastening means. Extending outwardly from the base bar i3 from which said end lug I l springs are laterally spaced link side arms I4, the free ends of which are joined by a transverse stop bar i5, thus forming a rectangular centrally open link body. Underlying the intermediate portion of said spring strip lll between the coupling link end lugs is a filler strip IS of any suitable preferably non-resilient material, such as leather, paper or fibrous material. suitably arranged to envelop the spring strip l0 are the upper and lower portions Il and I8 respectively of the handle body, the same having loop ends i9 respectively extending the openings of the link bodies and around the link base bars I3. Said upper and lower portions il and I8 are joined along their longitudinal edge margins by stitching 29. Said handle body may be made of leather or any other suitable material or combination of materials, and the same may be shaped to provide such peripheral outline as is found desirable from the standpoints of both use and appearance. Each link side arm I4 is provided at its upper side and adjacent to the connecting transverse stop bar I5 with stepped latch nosings 2|, the free ends of which form latching shoulders 22 rising from the upper surfaces of said link side arms I4.

Means are provided for anchoring the handle structure in operative relation to the luggage or case which it is to serve. Such anchoring means comprise hollow anchor boxes comprising top walls 23, side walls 24, outer end walls 25 and inner end walls 26. The inner end walls 26 are cut away adjacent to each side wall 24 to provide openings 2l through which the link side arms I4 may slidably extend. Projecting downwardly from the central portion of each end wall 25 and 25 are clenching lugs 28 which are pierced downwardly through the body wall 29 of the luggage or case to which the handle is to be attached. Before attaching the anchor boxes to the luggage or case wall 29, the inner end walls 26 and the clenching lugs springing therefrom are passed downwardly through the openings of the handle coupling links so as to engage the side arms I4 of the latter in and through the openings 21 of the anchor boxes, thereby assembling the latter in operative relation to said handle coupling links, whereupon the anchor boxes are attached to the luggage or case wall 29 in properly spaced apart relation, by passing the clenching lugs 28 through said wall and clenching the free ends thereof over upon the under side of the latter.

When free from any obstructing or counteracting restraint, the handle spring strip I0 will assume a normal substantially flat longitudinally extending position which causes the handle to extend substantially in flat-lying longitudinal dis- V position along the wall 29 between the fixed anchor boxes, with the coupling links slid into inwardly projecting relation to and within the interior of the anchor boxes (see Figs. 1, 2, 4 and 5). When it is desired to employ the handle for carrying the luggage or case to which it is applied, said handle is grasped intermediate its ends and lifted upwardly. Such upward lifting of the handle causes the spring strip I0 to arch upwardly, and thus assume a condition of tension, while at the same time the coupling links are pulled outwardly relative to the anchor boxes until their stop bars I5 are arrested by abutment against the inner end Walls 26 of said boxes, and the latch nosings 2| are withdrawn exteriorly from the ends of said boxes. The tension of the arched spring strip I0 develops a tendency of its ends and the coupling links affixed thereto, to swing upwardly, which kyieldably thrusts the link side arms I4 upwardly against the free inner margin 30 of the top walls of said anchor boxes, thus carrying the latch shoulders 22 of the latch nosings 2| `into abutment against said margins 30 of said anchor box top walls. This engagement of the latch nosings with the anchor boxes obstructs the tendency of the spring strip Ill to flatten out, and consequently maintains the handle in expanded outwardly bowed relation to the luggage or case wall 29, as shown more particularly in Fig. 3.

When the handle is expanded for use in the manner above described, it will be obvious that the convenience of the user is efliciently served, since the luggage or case may be temporarily set down and the hand disengaged from the handle without tendency of the latter to collapse, and consequently the handle is retained in expanded condition subject to ready and quick use while the luggage or case is being carried about. Notwithstanding this, when it is desiredV to collapse the handle to normal initial fiat-lying condition, Yso as to reduce its projection relative to the luggage or case body to a minimum, and thus more conveniently dispose the same for compact stowage of the luggage or case, as, for example, beneath car seats, in automobile luggage compartments, etc this may quickly and easily be accomplished by merely pressing downwardly upon the arch handle until the latch nosings 2I are released from their abutting relation with the anchor box top wall margins 30, whereupon the restraint upon the spring strip I l) is removed and the same will immediately atten out, so as to thereby flatten down the handle as a Whole, while at the same time releasing the coupling link s so that the same slide inwardly into the anchor box interiors, as shown in Fig. 2.

From the above, it will be obvious that a very convenient and satisfactory collapsible handle for luggage and the like is provided; it will be understood however that various changes could be made in the disclosed construction and many apparently widely diierent embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof as defined in the herefollowing claims. It is therefore intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claimtl. A collapsible handle for luggage, comprising a handle means having a spring strip core extending longitudinally thereof, coupling loops afxed to the ends of said spring strip core and adapted to extend from the ends of said handle means, said coupling loops having side arms connected at their free extremities by a transverse stop bar, 'anchor boxes for fixed attachment to the luggage, said anchor boxes having inner end walls provided with openings through which said coupling links side arms move, and said coupling link side arms having latch nosings projecting upwardly therefrom and adapted' to engage the anchor box ends when said coupling link side arms are drawn 'outwardly relative to said anchor boxes by upward bowing of said handle means and its spring strip core, whereby said handle means is releasably held up-bowed against the collapsing tension of its spring strip core.

2. A collapsible handle for luggage, comprising a longitudinally resilient normally flat-lying handle means capable of being upwardly bowed to a position for use, coupling links extending from the ends of said handle means, said coupling means having side arms connected at their free extremities by a transverse stop bar, hollow anchor boxes for fixed attachment to the luggage, said anchor boxes having innerend walls of re duced width extending through said coupling loops between their side arms and engageable by their stop bars, and said coupling side arms having upwardly off-set latch nosings adapted to engage exterior end portions of said anchor boxes when said coupling links are out-drawn from the latter by upward bowing of said handle means, thereby to hold said handle means up-bowed against its collapsing tension.

EMILE GARFINKEL. 

